Banquo is at first an ally to Macbeth, as they are both generals in the King's army and are together when they meet the witches. After the prophesy, Macbeth feels threatened by Banquo and so their friendship disintegrates. Banquo's life is short-lived, but he returns later as a ghost to haunt the conscience of Macbeth.
"Shakespeare borrowed the character of Banquo from Holinshed's Chronicles, a history of Britain published by Raphael Holinshed in 1587. In Chronicles Banquo is an accomplice to Macbeth in the murder of the king, rather than a loyal subject of the king who is seen as an enemy by Macbeth. Shakespeare may have changed this aspect of his character in order to please King James, who was thought at the time to be a descendant of the real Banquo. Critics often interpret Banquo's role in the play as being a foil to Macbeth, resisting evil where Macbeth embraces it. Sometimes, however, his motives are unclear, and some critics question his purity. He does nothing to accuse Macbeth of murdering the king, even though he has reason to believe Macbeth is responsible. Banquo has been played by a variety of actors on the stage and in film, including Canada Lee, Minoru Chiaki, and Martin Shaw."
- Wikipedia
Your essay question:
To what extent is Banquo a victim of Macbeth and his lust for power? How is he an embodiment of 'good' to Macbeth's 'evil'? How does Shakespeare demonstrate this through characterisation? Provide evidence from the text.
Banquo
Table of Contents
Banquo is at first an ally to Macbeth, as they are both generals in the King's army and are together when they meet the witches. After the prophesy, Macbeth feels threatened by Banquo and so their friendship disintegrates. Banquo's life is short-lived, but he returns later as a ghost to haunt the conscience of Macbeth.
"Shakespeare borrowed the character of Banquo from Holinshed's Chronicles, a history of Britain published by Raphael Holinshed in 1587. In Chronicles Banquo is an accomplice to Macbeth in the murder of the king, rather than a loyal subject of the king who is seen as an enemy by Macbeth. Shakespeare may have changed this aspect of his character in order to please King James, who was thought at the time to be a descendant of the real Banquo. Critics often interpret Banquo's role in the play as being a foil to Macbeth, resisting evil where Macbeth embraces it. Sometimes, however, his motives are unclear, and some critics question his purity. He does nothing to accuse Macbeth of murdering the king, even though he has reason to believe Macbeth is responsible. Banquo has been played by a variety of actors on the stage and in film, including Canada Lee, Minoru Chiaki, and Martin Shaw."
- Wikipedia
Your essay question:
To what extent is Banquo a victim of Macbeth and his lust for power? How is he an embodiment of 'good' to Macbeth's 'evil'? How does Shakespeare demonstrate this through characterisation? Provide evidence from the text.
For further research:
An analysis of Banquo on eNotes
An analysis of Banquo on Shmoop
An analysis of Banquo on SparkNotes
Click here to watch Banquo live in action!
Bibliography:
http://www.enotes.com/macbeth/banquo-character-analysis
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/macbeth/study.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXcT7nrpglw